


Too Far

by Breezles



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Arguement, Character Death, Depression, Heavy Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Illness, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multiple Deaths, Near Death, Second Chances, Slow Death, Vomiting, Whump, monster falling, reset
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26464237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breezles/pseuds/Breezles
Summary: In a fit of anger Stretch shortcuts Edge to the top of Mount Ebott.He left him there.Now it is all his fault.All His Fault.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So a few people I follow wrote some Whump Fics   
> (You know who you are) 
> 
> I think I grasped what a whump fic is... 
> 
> but anyways.. this was spontaneously inspired by those   
> (even though I have other things to write, this one jumped the queue)
> 
> Warning: This story will hurt, it is not light, please check the tags, stay safe.  
> Major characters deaths, implied suicide, falling down, depiction of depression.

**Pop**

**Pop**

**Pop**

**Pop**

**Pop** , the sound of the final short cut as Stretch let Edge crumble to the ground, losing his magic on the forest floor near the top of Mount Ebott. Stretch clenched his fist, magic boiling in his skull as he glared down at the Fell monster still gagging and gasping as he spit out more rancid magic upon fallen leaves and pine needles.

“fuck you Edgelord! you fucking dust pan! you’re nothing more that a violent piece of shit murderer with a mightier than thou complex. find your own way home, shit head, and maybe you can name every monster’s life you took to get to lv 15.” Stretch yelled, watching as the one to receive his fury of words attempted to stumble to his feet, an arm reached out to him before Edge fell back onto his knees right into the puddle of vomited magic. 

With a satisfied smirk and a pop, Stretch short cuts back to the city limits, only needing 3 of them to get to the bus stop. The bus took him home, allowing all his anger from the latest argument between him and that fell-shit bastard to seethe and simmer on the ride him. They fought on a constant basis, usually having to be separated by the other members of the household, all of whom were stuck in the classic UT universe, which happened to find it’s happy little ending on the surface. 

This fight started like any other, Edge yelling at him for lazing around and not doing his fair share or at least attempting to find a job. The final straw that broke Stretch’s camel’s back came from Edge, lording over how he would never survive a second in his Underfell universe, that he had the survival skills of a gnat and that he was nothing more than a burden and everyday stress to his brother and how Blue would be much better off not carrying his dead weight. 

Heated crimson eye-lights burnt hot as he yelled right in his face, and that’s when Stretch grabbed him by the shoulders and started the short cuts. Edge rued the day when Stretch found out that shortcuts made the tall and mighty monster queasy and disoriented, breaking him down from that irritating stoic coolness he always tried to display. Well, mister Fell-verse ultimate survivor can take his survival skills and shove it up his pelvis and find his own damn way home. 

Though his anger had simmered down, Stretch still found himself walking around to the back of the house where his nearly full ashtray sat. He took out one of his cigs to light up and took in that first deep drag that would help finish settling his agitated magic. 

Stretch sighed out the first puff, closing his eyes. There wasn’t anything to worry about. Edge would probably arrive back home early in the morning, looking all kinds of disheveled and cranky and Stretch would be sound asleep in his bed, not a care in the world as far as he’s concerned, and Edge would have to worry about cleaning up quick enough to get to work. He’ll probably be late.

It was four days later that Red burst into the living room, looking a might bit stressed. “have any of ya all seen Boss? i haven’t seen him for a few days.”

Rus and Blue both shook their heads. “NO, HE MISSED OUT ON OUR ACTIVITY NIGHT LAST NIGHT.” Rus informed, looking down at Blue. “It Was His Night To Plan Out The Activity We Would Be Doing, But Since He Didn’t Meet With Us As Normal In The Club Tree House We Ended Up Just Going Bowling.” 

“his work called in the past few days, said he hadn’t shown up for work. they’re threatening to fire him.” Comic piped up from his spot on the other side of the couch. “is something going on?”

Red growled at their responses. “no idear, ‘snot like Boss ta disappear like this. the damn cat has been cryin’ outside his door for a few days now. only got her ta shut the hell up afta given’ her some wet food.”

Stretch gave the conversation a good thought while everyone listed off the last time they saw the Edgelord. Sure Stretch had been avoiding being home lately, not wanting to deal with Edge’s bitchiness. The only place he dared sneak into where he was likely to come across the prickly skeleton was the kitchen to grab some leftovers from the fridge when he was hungry. It would actually explain why the stockpile the currently MIA monster usually kept was dwindling to nearly nothing. Stretch let out a heavy sigh, “fucking idiot, don’t tell me he’s still stuck in Mount. Ebott.”

The conversation halted and Red stalked over to him, a heavy look on his face as he spoke through gritted teeth. “mind runnin’ that by me again, honeybun?” 

Stretch rolled his eye-lights at Red. “last i saw the bitch-lord I dumped him at Mount Ebott after we had a spat. figured he had found his way back here by now, though i haven’t been home all that much so didn’t think he was missing.” Stretch shrugged at that. “figured mister survival skills could find his way back.”

Quick like lighting, Red grabbed a fist full of Stretch’s tank top, his normal orange sweater abandoned due to the heat wave that snuck up on them this week. Hmm, that may not be good if Edge was out in the elements, unless he found himself a stream to drink from. Dehydrated magic wasn’t all that helpful and could do some odd things to a monster’s mind. Stretch was yanked out of his thoughts as Red pulled him forward, nose ridge to nose ridge as he growled out. “bring me there, ashtray.”

“fine, but you bring us to the foot of the mountain, that’ll save me some juice to get back here.” Stretch stared back into those maroon eye-lights. Must be a brotherly trait for them to appear to burn with anger.

Red growled before he popped them both into a shortcut. Comic, Rus and Blue left behind to wait. 

Stretch brought Red up to where he had dumped the Edgelord and said monster wasn’t in sight. The only evidence of his tale was the red stain where a thick coating of magic had evaporated away in the summer’s blistering heat. Red began his search, Stretch trailing behind as they began to follow a trail of first red stains that looked to take an unsteady course. When the stains ended, a trail of scratched tree trunks seemed to pop out of nowhere, each seeming to symbolize something that appeared significant to Red. 

Red was a hard fast tracker, keeping focus on any and all signs Edge had left for him. There were broken limbs and bushes appeared to be crushed by a body that must have fallen on them, some disturbed leaves and Red grumbled that he must have slept in that stop. The air up here was stifling, Stretch was sweating as they continued to follow the winding and surprisingly uncoordinated path that Edge formed. 

That is, until the path stopped. A clearing broke out in front of them, absent of trees and or bushes to mark the path. The ground was too dry for any shoe prints to have been made, especially since Edge was dropped off barefoot. There was no obvious path in the grass and ferns that covered the clearing. Stretch realized that they had yet to pass a stream, his own thirst calling out to him. 

“fuck,” Red growled before digging out his cell. Stretch took a seat in the grass to catch his breath. “Comic, gonna need ya ta bring the other two to ta mount’in. can meet ya at the base and take ya where we’re at. gonna havta go all search party.” Red glanced over to Stretch, “stay here.” before he popped into the shortcut, shortly returning with his bro and the two ‘orignials.’

Red concocted a plan, giving each skeleton their assigned areas to search for any trace of Edge. Rus passed out some bottles of water, one of which was quickly drained by both Red and Stretch.

This led to another four days of searching and finding no leads. There was no dust, no clothing, left behind, nothing. Blue and Rus attempted to keep morale up each day, but between the heat and lack of anything that showed where their missing counterpart had wandered off towards, it was not looking good. Red kept giving Stretch hard glares, growling and grumbling when he neared. 

It was the fifth day that he found it, one of Edge’s gloves, torn up and discarded into a bush. His soul lept as he recognized that crimson leather. Picking out his walkie-talkie from his pants pocket, he pressed down on the button to radio out. “Red, guys… i found something. come to my location.” He then shot two bone attacks into the air for them to collide into sparks of magic, thus signalling his location. While he waited, Stretch began to look around for any other signs. He gulped when his eye-lights fell on the edge of what appeared to be… a cliff. 

“fuck, what did you find, ashtray?” Red said, a hint of desperation in his voice. Stretch handed over the glove and Red nearly ripped it out of his hand and began to investigate it with gusto. “no dust, no magic, no marrow. he had to have taken it off himself.” Red growled, frustrated but also looked a little more hopeful. 

“uh, Red, look on ahead.” Stretch pointed in the direction of the ledge. 

Red stiffens, the cliff ledge appeared to be at an angle, if one were well rested, hydrated and in their right mind, they would notice it before walking over it. But if a monster was at all disoriented and partially blind on top of that, thanks for that bit of intel Rus, Stretch’s soul clutched at the thought. 

Not waiting for the other’s to arrive, Stretch and Red began to walk towards the cliff’s edge. There was something surreal looking down the long cliff face. Stretch never really thought of himself as being afraid of heights, but looking down caused him to feel the fear of the angel for the first time in quite a long time. 

The cliff was good tens of something meters long and Stretch couldn’t even guess to estimate how high up they were. Ledges did jut out of cliff face, a few brave or stubborn plants and trees determined to grow from these outcroppings. At the bottom continued the forest, seemingly undisturbed for many years, thick were their leafy crowns, only a few patches here and there, probably from a fallen rock or two. A little ways in the distance is the first sign of water Stretch had seen during this whole exploration, a river cutting it’s way through the forest. 

Red made an unnatural noise, something akin to a choked whimper, and startles Stretch. He looked at Red's face, seeing his maroon eye-lights shrunk down to the smallest of pinpricks, shaking unsteadily in a direction off to Stretch’s right, down the cliff side. 

Following his gaze, Stretch looked over in that direction, his voice catching right in his throat. 

Half way down the cliff was an outcropping, where a spindly tree jutted out to capture all the sun it’s tiny little leaves could take. On one barren branch, attached and waving in the wind was a crimson scarf. Stretch’s soul froze as he saw it waving in the wind and the implications that it held. 

There was a pop below him and Stretch gasped to see Red appearing on an outcropping, halfway between them and the one that the scarf flagged them on. Stretch could hear the other’s coming in the distance before he raced along the cliff’s edge, careful not to stumble too close. Red popped once again, this time, right over the creaky tree, nearly missing his grasp as the entire plant shook with the sudden weight thrust upon it. The tree bounced and rustled for a time as Stretch neared, relieved to see that the shorter fell skeleton managed to hold on tight to the branch he, and fortunately also the scarf, was on. 

What Red didn’t see from their earlier location was a set of ledges that led down to the one Red was hanging off of. There also were a few gouges in the rock face, as if something pointed and narrow attempted to cut through it. 

Using his shortcuts, Stretch ‘hopped’ down to Red ledge, keeping an eye on the crazy monster as he worked to untangle the scarf from it’s post. Once on the proper ledge, Stretch threw his blue magic in Red’s direction and helped him back to sturdier ground. 

“there’s no dust, none at all… look, it’s been cut and a piece of it is missing. i think he cut himself out.” Red looked down the rest of the cliff side. “i think he can survive that fall… well factoring being in the heat and how ever long he’s been down there… shit, I need to…”

It almost felt like his whole rib cage clenched as he heard the desperate deductions Red was producing. There was a glimmer of desperate hope in his voice, emotions that he never thought he’d hear coming from the generally angry gremlin. Stretch reached out, grabbing a hold of Red’s shoulder, feeling the other abort a shortcut, “hey, listen to me, don’t shortcut straight down there. you know as well as i, that shortcuts and gravity don’t mix well together.”

Red nodded looking down to the forest below. Stretch once again was forced to follow his gaze, noticing what appeared to be a disturbance in the treetops, damaged limbs and a body sized hole created in the lush overgrowth. Stretch gulped, “come on, let’s get back to the others and we’ll find a safer route down.” 

Red clutched the scarf hard in his grasp before shrugging Stretch’s hand off his shoulders. The sound of the pop as Red shortcuts up to the group was his only reply. Stretch followed shortly, arriving as the group huddled together around Red, already discussing a route down. 

It would be day break before they made it down the cliff and to the forest floor safely. Stretch could almost see the anxiety billowing off of Red as they walked, muttering to himself that Edge was alive, he can survive this, and they should have been there already. But as Stretch glanced up at the cliff face above at the spindly tree, he could tell they were far off. 

The forest was surprisingly cooler down at the cliff’s base, maybe a little bit muggy, but the change in temp was refreshing. Itching past noon, a quick glance up at the tree proved they were around where they hoped Red’s brother would be. And the search was not long as they came across Edge’s body. 

He heard Blue’s startled gasp, an actual whispered “oh my” from Rus. Comic and Stretch both seemed caught in silent shock as Red rushed over to Edge. 

At a glance, it appeared that Edge laid right where he had landed, not a single movement made aside from the swivel of his head. One entire leg was gone, dusted in the tight pant leg that draped over a rather large boulder. The eirieness of Edge’s still body, absolutely motionless with arms splayed unnaturally by his sides, sent a chill up Stretch’s spine as they all seemed to gravitate closer to Edge. 

Red was kneeling down next to Edge, hands hovering, shakily, above his body, attempting to assess the situation without knowing what to do next. Edge’s bones appeared bleached from time in the sun, his magic so faint it could barely be seen in his joints and spine, while his eye-lights barely lit as they shakily looked back at Red. 

“brother...’ it was faint, barely breathed out from Edge’s barely moving mouth. “love you, brother…” there was a small shift in those eye-lights, but Stretch wasn’t entirely sure if he was looking directly at him or somewhere beyond. “srry.”

Then those eye-lights faded out to darkness and Edge’s body began to dust. 

“No Edge, no no nonono.” Red began to cry, grabbing onto Edge’s chest and holding onto that limp body as it continued to fall away. 

Stretch fell to his knees, feeling nearly as lifeless as he watched his alternate fade away. Time passed simultaneously too slow, as if it nearly stopped, as well as quick as a blink of an eye in that singular moment. He could hear the beginnings of Blue crying, a whimper escaped Rus, and Comic shifted closer, hand reaching out towards Red to guide him into an embrace. 

Edge was gone, his last ten days with the hurtful words Stretch had spat at him before deserting him on the accursed mountain they were once trapped under, sick and disoriented from the affects of the multiple shortcuts Stretch had forced upon him. Dehydrated from the vomited magic and not a single source of water within his trail while the blaring sun beat down on his body. His stumbling journey, already complicated by being mostly blind thanks to that scar over his left socket. Who knows when the fall off the cliff occurred, or how long Edge hung from the tree, choking, before he cut himself free. One can only fathom the agony that Edge was in as he laid there, leg already dusted away from the impact with the overly sized rock as his broken body likely wouldn’t respond to him any longer. A slow and painful death, all over a stupid fight, all because Stretch lost his temper… it was...

“all yer fault.” Red hoarse voice rattled accusingly. “all yer fuckin’ fault.” Stretch didn’t even flinch as that rough accusing yell. “if ya hadn’t left him up there, if yer had any sense in ya, Papyrus… my brother would be... he wouldn’ta…” Red crumpled in Comic’s arms once again, scarf clutched close to his chest as he wailed and cried. 

He agreed, it was his fault that Edge was gone, and he wouldn’t even have the LV to haught him due to the nature of the fallen monster’s death and due to the judge’s ability to keep his soul clean. Stretch hung his head in shame and despair. Sure, he disliked Edge, they always fought and always bickered and just plain didn’t get along. But he never wished for this, for his death, to suffer in such a way. Stretch knew in his soul, Edge didn’t deserve it. 

Stretch glanced back at Blue, who turned his back towards him, not wanting to look at him. The pity coming from Rus though hurt even worse than his brother’s rejection. Rus was the first to finally move, going to the other side of the dust pile… and pulled out a jar, whispering something to the two huddled Sans’s before beginning to scoop up the remains of their friend.

It was all his fault, every once of it. 

He left Edge there.

He didn’t make sure that Edge arrived home.

He didn’t notice Edge’s absence. 

Had he noticed Edge’s absence sooner. 

Had he not shortcut him around and just walked away from that fight.

Edge was the youngest of them all, some weird timeline mumbo jumbo. He barely got much of a chance to experience the surface, a little over three months that they arrived, only just getting his job a month before, his permit to learn to drive maybe two weeks before. He was already looking at cars he was interested in two days before Stretch carelessly dumped him off on the stupid mountain. 

He was far too young...

Somehow, Edge’s death was labeled a hiking accident. Stretch wouldn’t face the justice that he knew should have befallen on him, even if the judge would still label him innocent. He was far from innocent. 

As time trickled by, not a single member of the household talked to him, ostracizing him in their shared home, he didn’t even have a job to escape to. He became listless, quiet, his guilt gnawing at his soul as he drew further and further into himself and his depression.

It didn’t help when Red followed his brother a few weeks later. Edge was what kept him going, kept him functioning. Sure, something was budding between him and Comic, but it was far from any sort of relationship status change let alone keeping him from the deep end. His dust would join the same home as Edge’s, tucked in an ornate thing the humans called an urn. 

That too would end up being his fault, as the darkness inched close.

It was his fault there were no more Fell Brothers.

It was his fault Blue no longer looked at him with brotherly fondness.

It was his fault that Rus and Comic had to carry on his burdens. Struggling more with the rent and bills from the loss of two other incomes. 

Day in and day out, the memories haunted him.

The memory of Edge reaching out to him as he abandoned him on the mountain.

The memory of his scarf on the cliff side, flapping in the wind.

The memory of Edge’s broken and lifeless body.

The memory of Edge’s final words and apology.

The memory of his dust.

And Red’s voice would follow, chanting the same words over and over and over again.

It was all his fault. 

All his fault.

Until the day his world grew black. 


	2. Taking It Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Act] [Reset] [Mercy]
> 
> Sometimes, we just want to take back our actions and reset time.   
> A second chance could be one's greatest Mercy.
> 
> [Start]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. My brain did it again, and a new chapter is born to this painful fic. This chapter is lighter, no deaths, but some mentioned of the previous events do occur. There is some near-death occurrences cause that is the way.

**GASP!**

Stretch sat ramrod straight in his bed, taking deep gasping breaths as if he was forced under deep dark goopy water and finally let up to breath. Honey colored sweat coated every inch of bone as he regained his senses. 

Was that all just a dream? No, a nightmare?

No, it was much too real to be just a nightmare, way too real.

An uneasy feeling settled over him, it was almost familiar but just a little different. But as he came to a realization with a shuddering breath. Closing his sockets, he settled on one possibility.

There was a reset.

A second chan….

Scrambling to his side table, Stretch grasped his phone, bright light illuminating in his face. The date stared back, confirming his suspicions. It was the night Stretch had stranded Edge hours ago on top of Mount Ebott. That day was extremely hot, not that Stretch realized it with the AC blaring all day. Edge was left there alone, nearly half blind and disoriented. And If the memory he managed on to told him anything, he was headed right for a cliff. 

Jumping out of bed, soul buzzing with erratic energy, Stretch gathered up any clothing that laid nearby and dressed as he raced out the door. There was one person awake at this hour and, stars above, he was lucky that this skeleton virtually never slept. As he was the only other one with a car. Stretch rushed into the kitchen, stopping to see the other tall monster humming to himself as he went about recalibrating the pantry door that kept the lazier of the skeletons from indulging in ‘unhealthy’ snacks at ‘inappropriate hours’. 

“Rus, sorry to bother you but i need a favor, a ride actually.” Stretch cursed his nervous tongue but he was really jittery, every node in his body screaming that he had to hurry and get there. But he hadn’t fully juiced back up magically to fully get to the mountain and back and he wasn’t entirely sure if Edge would be in a state to handle a short cut. There were too many unknowns rushing in the back of his mind. A feathery hiss of a whispered, ‘your fault’ skittered in his mind like one of Muffets’s spiderlings coming to pay a visit. 

Rus turned and beamed a smile at Stretch, “OH, IT’S A GOOD THING I MADE YOU THIS TEA THEN.” Rus walked over to the microwave and removed a still lightly steaming cup, glancing down to see that indeed a tea was made. “IT’LL HELP YOU CALM YOUR NERVES AND MAGIC, AS WELL AS CALM YOUR MIND OF ANY WHISPERS THAT MAY BE GOING THROUGH IT SO YOU CAN CONCENTRATE.” Rus took two steps to the key hooks and grabbed his set, the one right next to Edge’s. 

With loud jangle Rus turned towards Stretch and flashed a smile, “ALRIGHT, NOW DRINK THAT DOWN QUICK AND ON OUR WAY TO MOUNT EBOTT YOU’RE GOING TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WE NEED TO BE THERE AT THIS EXACT HOUR.” Yeah, that smile wasn’t just any old Rus smile, and should have been a warning. It was one he flashed anytime he knew something he shouldn’t. And Stretch knew he wasn’t gonna get away with not giving an explanation. With a dismal sigh and a final whispered ‘your fault’ in his skull, Stretch threw back the drink, nearly chugging it down. He did note the flavors of the tea, heavily coated in honey as Rus seemed to know how he liked it. 

The agitated magic seemed to calm nearly instantly, his thoughts settled for once and collected themselves as if placed in order. He placed the cup in the sink and smiled back at Rus, quickly following him to the door, plucking his shoes off of the shoe rack to put on. As he was finishing tugging on his second shoe, he glanced over to the cat tree in the corner, her royal highness, Doomfanger, herself perched on her throne. Her eyes seemed to glow fiercely in the dark as she appeared to glare daggers at Stretch, as if blaming him for his sins of the other timeline. She had every right to. Stretch nodded towards her then turned towards Rus as he opened the door. “let's go save the Edgelord.”

The car ride seemed both too fast and too slow, Rus had some strange ability to drive the speed limit but get to any place faster than anyone would expect. Stretch told him his tale of how Edge and him had gotten into another argument and how in the other timeline it seemed that Edge’s fate wasn’t entirely favorable. Sure he didn’t give all the details, skimming some of the worst parts of it. But Rus would get the gist. Both Comic and himself were still trying not to hide as much from the younger siblings, both of them finding about the resets from a certain loud mouthed gremlin. But a few habits where still hard to break it seemed. 

Rus just nodded in understanding, not a note of judgement on his face as he turned off his car and stepped out. He gazed up at the mountain in front of him, taking in a deep breath. Stretch walked around the car to stand by Rus’s side. “ALRIGHT, WHERE SHALL WE BEGIN, LAZY-ME.”

“i can get us up to the spot I left Edge in two cuts, i remember the path he would have taken.” Stretch gulped before reaching out to place his hand on Rus’s shoulder, only for it to be grabbed in Rus’s gloved covered hand. Stretch blinked in surprise, glancing from their joined hands, up towards Rus’s face that watched him patiently as if nothing was wrong with this. “um, right, ready?”

“OF COURSE.” Rus stated matter of factually. “BUT WE SHOULD HURRY IF YOU DON’T WANT ANY OF THAT BAD STUFF TO HAPPEN.”

Ok, that comment hit him in the guilt center of his soul, Stretch mentally shook it off and shortcutted them both to the exact spot he had left Edge.

_Squish_

Beneath his shoes, a slimy and slippery substance with a faint reddish glow to it, Stretch glanced down at what remained of the larger puddle of rejected magic. Not only did he land right on top of it, but he managed to land Rus right next to it, saving him from gunking up his shoes. Stretch closed his sockets and took a long breath. “i deserved that.”

Rus only pulled him out of the remaining puddle, “I WILL NOT BE A JUDGE OF THAT BUT YOU, RED AND MY BROTHER SEEM TO BE FAIRLY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THE KARMA DEPARTMENT AS IT IS.”

Stretch huffed a laugh and nodded in agreement. “can’t argue with that.” He could see the faint glow of the remains of vomited magic that trailed ahead of them. Summoning a bone construct, Stretch pushed enough magic to make it glow, giving them light to guide them in the dark forest. Rus smiled and produced his own bone as he allowed Stretch to tug him along the path. 

The sky began to lighten overhead, the night inching its way into dusk. They began to slow in their search after they ended the trail of red glowing vomit and Stretch had to go by memory, following the scratches and broken branches that Edge left in his wake. If it wasn’t for Stretch’s fear of not knowing exactly when Edge fell, they would have stopped to continue in the daylight.

Luck seemed to have been on their side as they neared the bush that looked as if Edge had fallen into it, a coughing sound a few steps ahead caught their attention. Brightening up their bone attacks, Stretch and Rus could barely make out the shaking mass in the brush. They rushed over, looking down at the curled up skeleton, breathing raggedly, using his scarf to cover as much exposed bone as he could. His clothes appeared ripped and dirtied in a mix of who knows what, his bones only slightly bleached from a long day in the sun. Not enough for permanent damage but enough to sting for a while.

Stretch was about to kneel down to wake up the sleeping Fell monster when Rus stopped him. Rus held up a head and signed. “I’LL DO IT, IF HE ACCIDENTALLY ATTACKS I CAN TAKE THE HIT.”

Stretch grimaced at the reminder of his HP, wanting to up and fight that he could dodge it, but ultimately he relented and nodded. Rus smiled before kneeling next to Edge, shaking him by the shoulder, first gently then a little rougher. Edge suddenly startled awake, only a sparkling of magic in his hands before he turned to face his imagined attackers. 

“IT’S OK EDGY-ME, IT’S ONLY LAZY-ME AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, YOUR DUPLICATES.” Rus explained in a non-whisper.

Edge blinked up at them, his eye-lights hazy and unfocused. Stretch looked over the dazed monster, noticing how his magic already seemed so pale but also flushed over his cheeks, and not in a blushing way. 

“rus? stretch?” His voice was hoarse at best, rough and scratchy and lowercased, like he didn’t have the energy to speak in his normal uppercase volume. Stretch had to kneel down to hear him. He really didn’t think a whole day would bring the Edgelord this far down. 

“HOLD ON, LET ME GET YOU SOME WATER.” Rus dug into his inventory and produced a water bottle and uncapped it. Rus signaled to Stretch to help Edge up into a sitting position, getting right behind him to hold him up, before Rus brought the bottle to Edge’s teeth. Edge drank greedily, trying to drink the water as if it were the last drop on earth. Most of the water appeared to end up more on Edge than in his mouth but before Edge could finish the bottle, Rus took it away, causing the fell monster to whine. 

“NOT RIGHT NOW, EDGY-ME. I’LL GIVE YOU MORE LATER.” Rus explained as he put the bottle away. “IF I GIVE YOU TOO MUCH, YOU’LL END UP THROWING UP THE WATER AND WHATEVER MAGIC YOU HAVE LEFT. LET WHAT YOU HAVE GET ABSORBED FOR NOW.” 

Stretch shifted uncomfortably behind Edge, feeling his body radiated heat and his bones shivered uncontrollably. “dude, Edge, you’re feeling kinda hot here.”

“but i feel so cold.” Edge groaned unhappily, arms wrapping around his chest. 

Rus whipped off one of his gloves and held his wrist to Edge’s forehead. He tisked unhappily, trailing his hand down to his jaw. “EDGE, ARE YOU AWARE YOU HAVE A FEVER?”

Stretch nearly felt Edge flinch, “perhaps.”

“HOW LONG?”

Edge shifted his gaze down to the ground. “t-three days…it… it wasn’t bad until...today.”

Stretch’s soul clenched at the thought, he had grabbed at Edge’s shirt and shortcutted them, the void would have cooled off his body some, but it was only now that Stretch shamefully registered that there was a hint of warmth under his touch and not just Edge’s normally produced warmth. 

“WHAT ELSE EDGE?” Rus began to stroke the top of Edge’s head. Stretch could see Edge lean into it, just like Doomfanger would if you rubbed that spot behind her torn ear, if she let you get that close without a few scratches. 

“My… head hurts. started this morning. when I started that argument, i… just wanted you off the couch. i only wanted to lay down… guess that backfired on me.” Edge shifted to look up at Stretch before rasping out, “i’m sorry.”

It was eerie to see his eye-lights so badly diffused and hazy. He was beginning to wonder how he could see at all. 

“i... i can’t see. my eye-lights haven’t... been able to focus since... i was left here. and everything is moving too much. where are we?” Edge wasn’t sounding alright, his voice fading as if fighting to stay conscious.

Stretch’s soul twisted. How the fuck could he have left him here? What in the stars convinced him that Edge would be alright with everything in the multiverse seemingly against him? Sure he didn’t know Edge wasn’t feeling well, and sure he didn’t know Edge was suffering one of his legendary migraines. But still, if anything he should have known the dangers of at least leaving him out in the blazing sun, puking his soul out after five fucking consecutive shortcuts. Fuck he didn’t even know where he was.

A hand fell upon his shoulder, stilling his spiraling thoughts, Stretch looked up at Rus who was giving him one of those gentle smiles he gave, one of the ones that just made him feel like it will be ok. Rus still didn’t harbor any judgement or fury. Just calm and collected Rus, here to be the strong Papyrus of the three. 

Rus turned his attention back on Edge, still stroking his head comfortingly. “WE ARE ON MOUNT EBOTT, AND NOW WE HAVE TO GET YOU DOWN. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE A SHORTCUT?”

His response was immediate as Edge curled into himself and groaned weakly. “no, i don’t think i can.”

Rus’s brow furrowed at that. “THEN WE SHALL DESCEND BY FOOT.” Rus began to adjust himself to pick Edge up when he was pushed away. 

“i... i can walk myself.” Edge insisted, shifting and sitting himself up from the near leaning his was doing against Stretch’s chest. 

“I DON’T THINK THAT WOULD BE WISE, EDGY-ME. I DO NOT MIND CARRYING YOU AT ALL.”

“i can… do it.” Edge stumbled to his feet. A new born baby lamb would have been more graceful at standing. Stretch jumped up, holding his arms out to help Edge stabilize himself before he fell. That damn stubborn pride of his, there was no convincing him otherwise when he got like this. 

Stretch sighed, looking to Rus as he stood up as well. The sky was growing brighter as the sun rose, the need for the bone attacks was no longer necessary and thus they were dispelled. Stretch mulled over the situation until it dawned on him. If Edge was unconscious he wouldn’t feel a shortcut, and a shortcut would get them off the mountain so much faster. So if they allowed Edge to wear himself out enough to pass out then there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. Edge already looked to be on the brink to unconsciousness, it shouldn’t take long. 

“alright, how about this Edge. we’ll let you walk, but let us help support you. we can do the whole sling an arm over our shoulders…”

“yer both taller than me.” Edge slurred, looking at Stretch’s general direction… off by maybe a mile. Shit, they really needed to get him home. 

“around our chest then. almost like bringing me back from the bar, except it’ll be you in the middle and you’re not singing “bringing sexy back.” Stretch helps Edge wrap an arm around him. 

“i could if ya need me too, keep up the ‘pearance.” Ho boy, Edge was beginning to sound more like Red. Wait, did he just...

Stretch looked over at Rus, giving a skeptical look as he took up position on Edge’s other side and wrapped a scarred arm around his torso. Stretch throws him a wink and mouths ‘when he’s out, i’ll shortcut us.” Rus’s sockets widen in surprise and understanding, nodding in agreement before beginning to walk towards the path down the mountain.

It was (heh) edging towards noon when Edge finally slumped over, nearly throwing both taller monsters off balance. They were in the clearing, no longer under the cover of the wood and treading close to the cliff Stretch was dreading to see again. But it was the only way down that he knew of. Stretch heaved a heavy sigh, lowering Edge’s arm so that Rus could pick him up. 

They weren't expecting Edge to suddenly fight his way out of their grasp and start running. 

They both saw the blank eye sockets, Edge wasn’t conscious, how could he be running? They looked at each other with disbelief before a jolt of fear ran down Stretch’s spine. 

The cliff wasn’t too far ahead, and directly in Edge’s path. 

They both bolted forward at the same time, running after Edge who just seemed to be too fast for his condition. How he was maneuvering around the bushes and rocks was beyond Stretch. 

Rus picked up the pace, reaching out to grab at Edge's arm, when out of nowhere, Edge just flung a glove into his face, causing Rus to stumble, right into the bush Stretch remembered finding the article before. Stretch’s soul began to race and he tried to pick up the pace to gain ground on Edge. Edge neared the cliff’s edge (fuck) and suddenly changed course as he was now running along the ledge. 

Stretch blinked in confusion. How did he see that if he was supposedly blind and unconscious? What the ever living hell? Stretch continued to press on, hearing Rus catching up to them.

Oh how Stretch’s soul stopped when Edge stepped on that rock, ankle rolling with an audible pop. Then Edge was falling, right over the cliff’s edge. Stretch sprinted forward, blue magic summoned as he ran over and threw the blue attack, hitting him right in the chest and turning Edge’s soul blue. 

But he felt that sensation. His foot landed on straight air, nothing there to hold him up as he too began to fall.

Only a second before Rus was behind him, holding him by the jacket to stop his descent. 

Stretch was breathing hard, well, so was Rus right above him, sucking in air as he began to lift him back up. 

“DO YOU HAVE HIM?”

“ya, ya… i got him.” Stretch glanced from Edge’s unconscious form down to that dreaded tree. Once both his feet were planted on the ground, the glow around Edge doubled, Rus using his own magic to help pull Edge up above the cliff face. 

They laid Edge on the ground before both collapsing to the ground, Stretch on his rear and Rus on his knees. 

“AFTER THIS I MAY HAVE TO PARTAKE IN ONE OF THOSE NAPS YOU’RE SO FOND OF.” Rus huffed out.

Stretch chuckled at that. “you and me both, buddy.” Stretch laid back on the dry grass, feeling the sun beat down on him. “fuck, its like the universe is trying to kill him off.”

“WELL, THE UNIVERSE CAN GO FUCK ITSELF. IT’S NOT ALLOWED TO KILL EDGY-ME.” Rus got himself up enough to begin examining Edge while Rus gawked at him. Sometimes the swap monster forgot that Rus doesn’t have the same qualms against cursing, just uses them very rarely. 

“HE’S GOING TO FEEL THAT WHEN HE AWAKES, LESS SO AFTER BLUEBERRY HEALS HIM.” Rus applied a bit of healing magic over the ankle, rotating it and making sure it’ll stay in its proper place. Gathering Edge into his arms, Rus stands up and takes a few steps away from the cliff. “ALRIGHT LAZY-ME, SHORTCUT US OUT OF HERE.”

Stretch nodded as he got to his feet and walked over to Rus. He places his hands on both Rus and Edge, and after two quick pops and a single groan from their unconscious counterpart, they were right where they began, bottom of the mountain in the parking lot with Rus’s car. 

Rus lay Edge in the back seat, still making sure to buckle him in. “ALRIGHT, WE’RE ALL SET. ON OUR WAY HOME YOU NEED TO CALL RED AND EXPLAIN WHY HE HAS TO CUT HIS TRIP SHORT, HE HAS TO BE WORRIED SINCE EDGE DIDN’T CALL HIM LAST NIGHT.”

Stretch paused as he was buckling himself in. “oh, but can’t it wait until after we get Edge home and healed up?”

“NOPE, YOU ADMITTING YOUR MISTAKES HELPS ME DRIVE BETTER.” Rus beamed a smile at him after buckling himself in and shutting his door. 

Stretch groaned in his seat before digging out his cellphone, and luck would have it, the damn thing still had half a battery and signal. “fine, i’ll call.”

Rus nodded and turned on the car, a pleased humming as he backed out of the parking space and drove home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ya did what?” Red growled out, back home a day earlier than expected from some mysterious trip him and Comic took. 

Stretch rubbed the back of his neck vertebrae. Part of him was cursing himself for promising to explain when Red and Comic got back, only letting him know that Edge wasn’t well and had gotten injured after some shit went down. He heaved a sigh, looking down at his feet. “i killed him, in the other timeline, you even said it then. it was my fault.” 

Red merely growled at him and paced the floor, waiting for Blue and Comic to finish up in Edge’s room. Rus leaned over to Stretch and patted him on the shoulder.

The sound of the door opening had them both looking up to the second floor landing, Comic looked absolutely exhausted while Blue only looked like he just needed to sit down for a spell. Red shortcutted up to them, grabbed them both by the front of their shirts before shortcutting them back to the living room. “how is he?”

“I Wish You Wouldn’t Do That.” Blue sighed, motioning to Comic to sit by his brother. “He’s Still Running A Fever And Is Low On Magic But He’s No Longer Dehydrated Which Was A Major Concern. Rus’s Quick Healing On His Ankle Helped Out, I Had To Do A Bit Of Some Finer Healing And He Should Be Up And Walking On It In A Few Days, Granted If His Illness Is Over By Then. His Eye-lights Should Fix Themselves, The Mixture Of A Migraine, Illness And Going Through So Many Shortcuts Just Put A Little Too Much Strain On His System.” Blue took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “In Short, Edge Will Be Fine, He Just Needs To Rest Now.” 

Red’s shoulders slumped in relief. “can i..?”

Blue smiled and nodded, Red was gone as quick as a flash. Then Blue turned towards Stretch. “While I Am Disappointed By What You’ve Done And What Had Occurred In The Previous Timeline. I Am Proud Of You For Going Out To Fix Your Mistake and Learning A Very Valuable Lesson. You’ve Own Up To It And Took Responsibility For Your Poor Judgement and Actions, And I Am Proud Of You For That.” Blue smiled up at Stretch before spreading his arms wide. “Come Here, You Look Like You Could Use Your Brother’s Super Cool Hugs.”

Stretch sniffed, barely realizing he was crying as he all but flung himself into his little brother’s arms. “yea, i really do.” He choked out. 

Blue held onto Stretch tight for a moment before he ‘whispered’ “I’m Still Taking Away Your Honey For A Month.”

Stretch pulled away at that. “awww come one bro. haven’t i suffered enough?” 

Blue just smiled up to him and patted his cheek bone. “Do You Want Me To Make It Two Months?”

Comic laughed on the couch as Rus sunk back in his seat and pouted. “no.”

“Good. Rus Would You Care Join Me In The Kitchen. I Believe The Best Way To Defeat Edge’s Fever Is a Good Round Of Soup.” Blue marched right towards the Kitchen door, Rus giving an affirming noise before following after him. 

Red popped back in front of Stretch and Comic, “Blue, where is the… hey, where’s the Blueberry?”

“just took off to the kitchen to make soup for your bro.” Comic supplied. 

Red nodded and began to walk over when Stretch reached out a hand to stop him. “wait, please answer this one question. it’s gonna bug me forever.”

Red eyed him before shrugging. “sure, just make it fast.”

“how is it that Edge was able to run while unconscious?” Stretch asked, it had been bugging him ever since they left the mountain. 

“oh, that?” Red scratched the back of his head, mulling over the question. “honestly, he’s been able ta do that since he was young. ta old doc did a number on him when he was an infant. just somethin’ he messed around with before i got us ta escape.” Red shifted where he stood, glancing up to Edge’s room. “if he feels he is remotely en danger or just uncomfortable when he passes out, he’ll escape whatever he’s in and head home, regardless of where home is. is not really wise ta touch him before he passes out. heck, even gotta wait about three seconds before ya can pick him up again.” Red shrugs and walks towards the kitchen. 

“hey, Stretch.” Red stops at the door way. 

“yeah?”

“thanks fer bringin’ mah bro home, but don’t ya ever do that again. ya hear?”

Stretch leaned back against the couch pillows, a small smile on his face. “crystal clear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess I couldn't leave Edge dead after all.


End file.
